A Whole Lotta White
by CtrlAltDelicious
Summary: The Mai want Chloe to attend a debutante ball in order to "present her to society." AKA She has to meet all the "suitable" Mai men. Chloe's not too happy with the idea of being sold like a piece of meat, but she doesn't have much choice. Alek/Chloe Jas/OC
1. Put on Some Chlothes Dammit!

**Hey hey hey! New story! This is going to be rated T. Pretty sure no M, but if there is it will be in a separate story.**

**So this idea comes from a variety of episodes, and fanfics. This is not a copy of any fanfic. I simply got inspiration from a couple different ones.**

**This story is not fully developed in my head as my previous one, so I'm not sure how soon updates will be coming, but certainly the first several chapters will likely be popping out quickly because I have a lot of that planned.**

**Let me know how you guys like it. Suggestions are always loved.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Chloe King or any of her affiliates. I do own Tyler. He is a figment of my imagination.**

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><p>Chloe smiled at the doorman as she walked in. She hit the elevator button and hoped it would be a while. Damn. It opened immeadiatly. She sighed and stepped in, pressing 18 as the doors closed.<p>

Chloe had been to the apartment plenty of times, but mostly just to meet with Jasmine and Alek. This time, however, she had received a text from a number she hadn't recognized. It had turned out to be Valentina, and she wanted to meet with her. Chloe had no idea what she was meeting with her about, and she was practically trembling. She liked Valentina, but the woman could come across harsh. Their relationship was nothing like Chloe's and her mom's. Valentina made Chloe realize why Jasmine could come off as harsh sometimes.

The elevator dinged. Chloe took a deep breath, stepped out, and knocked on the only door on the floor. She heard Alek grumbling from inside about being early. He opened the door.

"You're ear-" Alek stopped as he saw who was there, "Chloe. I thought you wer- What are you doing here?" Alek asked surprised.

Chloe stood there for seconds just staring. Alek was only wearing a towel, his hair still soaking wet. "Valentina asked to see me." Chloe was sure her face was turning bright red.

Alek's eyes showed recognition. "Oh," he said. Chloe was pretty sure he knew why she was here. Everyone always knew before her.

"Can I come in?" Chloe raised her eyebrow at him.

"er…yeah." Alek said realizing he had been blocking the door.

Chloe walked in and saw Valentina talking on the phone. She motioned to Chloe to wait a minute, as she walked in to her office. Chloe made a beeline for the couch, needing to sit down. She was way to flustered around Alek.

"I'm ah…I need to…yeah…" Alek said awkwardly motioning at the door of his room, feeling just as awkward. Not that he was uncomfortable with how he looked, he just hadn't expected Chloe to be at the door. Alek did not like being caught off guard. 

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><p>Chloe sat on the couch thinking about Alek. She was finding herself falling for him more and more. He was a large part of the reason she hadn't talked to Brian for a month.<p>

Chloe had always found the blonde jock attractive, and when he had spoken to her two years ago, she had had a crush on 'the new kid' for a while at the point. But when he didn't speak to her again she had been crushed, and decided he was an asshole jock. Of course now she wondered if the real reason he hadn't spoken to her was because he was Mai. Humans _were_ off limits after all. Chloe could help but realize her crush was back, and it was back more than ever. She was wondering if what she was feeling was love. Certainly seeing him dripping wet in only a towel hadn't helped those feelings. She just hoped he hadn't hear how fast her heart had sped up. 

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><p>Of course Alek <em>hadn't <em>noticed her heart speed up. He had been too focused on his own rapid hearbeat. He stepped in to his room and quickly texted his friends. They would have to find a different place to watch the game. He had to "help his Aunt."

He turned to his closet, deciding on what to wear. The t-shirt and shorts he had decided on pre-shower were no longer going to cut it. He pulled out a navy blue button down shirt and a pair of jeans that he knew put an extra emphasis on his back side. He rolled the sleeves of the shirt up, and left an extra button undone. He winked at himself in the mirror, making 'finger guns' at his reflection. Looking good, Alek. He heard his phone buzz. Most of the guys had responded to his text earlier, but he was still waiting for one more reply. He checked the text:

**Tyler: Chloe's there isn't she? *Pounce***

Alek groaned. Tyler was probably his closest friend, but he could be a pain in the ass. He played basketball with Alek, but he was also one of the few Main in San Francisco. Alek's phone buzzed again:

**Tyler: If you don't I will ;)**

Alek growled, and shot a text off:

**Alek: Stay away from her.**

**Tyler: Meow! Haha :P**

Alek smirked. **Alek: You think you're hilarious.**

**Tyler: I do. Hey! You need a wingman?**

**Alek: Jasmine's not home.**

**Tyler: Damn. Nevermind.**

Alek chuckled. Tyler had been infatuated with Jasmine forever, but Jasmine had a stick up her butt. She had always been too focused on her "Mai duties." Things seemed to be changing, though. Chloe seemed to be able to pull Jasmine out of her shell more. 

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><p>Alek left his room and flopped onto the couch next to Chloe.<p>

Chloe eyed him, raising her eyebrow. "Got a date?" She asked, trying to hide the jealousy in her voice. She noticed he looked especially good today.

"Nope. Just chilling." Alek said as he lounged on the couch. He leaned back, getting comfortable, and laid his arm on the back of the sofa, around Chloe's shoulders.

Chloe rolled her eyes, but made no move to remove his arm. "So, who are you waiting for?" Chloe asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Huh?" Alek asked confused, then realized he was referring to his greeting at the door, "Oh, I was supposed to have some guys from school over, but they're not coming anymore."

Chloe blushed, embarrassed. "You didn't tell them not to come because of me, did you? I'm just here to speak to Valentina. If you're embarrassed to be seen with me, I can wait in her office."

Alek was shocked. "I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you. Something just came up." He said vaguely.

"Oh." Chloe spoke, turning redder. After a moments silence, she turned to Alek. "I didn't know you hung out with your Jocko friends outside of school."

"I didn't join the basketball team just for shits and giggles. Just because I'm Mai doesn't mean I don't live a mostly normal life. I just run around on roof tops after hours." He smirked at her.

Chloe laughed. "Then how come you seem to have such an issue with my being friends with humans?"

"Amy and Paul? Amy comes off incredibly strong, and Paul thinks I'm a superhero." Alek sighed.

"Most people would like to be superheroes. But I was thinking more like other humans." Chloe said.

"Brian? I would hardly call your relationship with him a friendship." Alek growled. "And you're not supposed to be with him."

"Why not!" Chloe asked. "Who are you to dictate who I'm supposed to be with?" It wasn't so much about Brian. She was done with Brian. But it was the principle of the thing.

"You're Mai. He's not. You kiss him, he dies. One way or another, you're going to end up hurt." Alek said in a low voice, looking into her eyes. This was serious, she needed to recognize it. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Too late." Chloe stated rather unemotionally.

"What did he do?" Alek growled.

"He told me he loved me. And I told him I didn't feel the same way. I couldn't lie to him. He didn't react to that well. He acted like an ass. For a week he came in every other day to the store with this girl, trying to make me jealous. I haven't seen or spoken to him in a month." Chloe said. She wasn't crying. She barely felt anything when she thought of Brian, now. She thought she knew him, but when he couldn't handle the fact that she didn't love him, and then he tried to make her jealous, it had only made her mad.

"I'm…sorry." Alek said, unsure what to say. He wasn't used to being at a loss for words. He had never felt so flustered around a girl. He hadn't earned the nickname Cocky Bastard for nothing.

"Don't be. It opened my eyes. I don't think I ever _really_ care about him. It just seemed to be a piece of normal at the point when my life was anything but." Chloe smiled at him. 

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><p>Valentina walked in. "Sorry. Why don't we talk in my office, Chloe."<p>

Chloe took a deep breath. Alek reached out and squeezed Chloe's hand, relaxing her. He could tell she was tense. It didn't surprise him. His aunt wasn't the most cuddly person.

Chloe followed the older Mai. Chloe sat down on a leather couch in the office, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible.

"So, Chloe," Valentina started, taking the seat next to her, "Have you ever heard of a coming out party?" 

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><p><strong>Not sure when the next update will be. Reviews motivate me to write which equals sooner updates :)<strong>


	2. Wait for ME!

**Okay so it's not super long, but anymore and it would have been an awkward transition.**

**So you guys are super amazing! I cherish your reviews. Seriously. I save them in a special folder in my email, and they make me so happy.**

**So I'm sorry this update's sorta late. I am now working a lot and I come home exhausted, and I haven't had a chance to write. But I'm not working tomorrow, so I plan on working on a couple chapters.**

**Valentina may seem a but OOC. I'm not sure about her character in the series yet. She seemed pretty sweet and motherly in the first several episodes, but then she started to seem a bit hardassy. I wrote her like she's a strict parent, but cares very much about her kids + Chloe. Also I wrote Alek as a nephew of Valentina. Although I don't believe he is in the show, I believe he thinks of her as an Aunt and vice versa, so while he won't call her Aunt Valentina, he will likely refer to her as his aunt in his mind. Same way with Valentina.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think. I personally am seriously excited for this fic. I also have several others up my sleeve, but I think I want to finish Sacrifice first, before I start a new one.**

**Oh! And you might have noticed a different title. I personally hated the one previously, but I wanted to get you guys the first chapter ASAP, so I left it. I brainstormed all week, thinking of a better one, and this one popped in earlier today, and I fell in love. You like?**

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><p>"So, Chloe, Have you ever heard of a coming out party?" Valentina asked Chloe.<p>

Chloe's eyes turned to saucers. "Like a debutante ball?"

Valentina nodded, smiling encouragingly.

"Only on Gilmore Girls." Chloe smiled sheepishly. A debutante ball? Where they present you to society. The white dress. The white gloves. A whole lotta white. "Shit. You want me to have one, don't you!"

"Not me per say," Valentina grimaced. "The other Mai have been talking, and well they think you should be presented to society, the Mai society. They want a chance to meet you."

"And try and marry me off, right?" Chloe knew how these things worked. She watched enough TV. Their would be what was considered suitable dates at this thing. The prestigious families of the society would come. In this case, she expected all the suitable Mai bachelors would be there.

Valentina could only smile apologetically. "Likely that is a reason. The Uniter would be the ultimate companion."

"More like trophy wife." Chloe grumbled. "Do I have a choice?" Chloe asked, fearing the answer.

"I'm not going to say you don't, because I did tell them I would have to check with you first, and of course they couldn't disagree to that, but arrangements are already being made, and, well, if you declined, we might have more issues with some of the tribes. We could start having to defend ourselves against our own like we did with the two Brazilians."

Chloe's eyes grew wide in memory. She had enough to worry about without her own race trying to kill her. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Great," Valentina smiled genuinely, "We will leave for L.A. Friday."

"Friday? I have two days until this shindig?" Chloe felt overwhelmed.

"Well, this 'shindig' as you call it, isn't until Sunday evening, but of course you are to meet everyone on Saturday, and we will use Friday to prepare. So of course we will leave promptly after school, and return Monday evening."

"Of course." Chloe replied sarcastically. "Wait L.A.? What am I supposed to tell my mother?"

"L.A. is the major hub of the California Mai. And do not worry about your mother, I have already told her that I am taking Jasmine after school on Friday to L.A. for a shopping trip, and that we wanted to extend the invitation to you. I told her I would ask you when you came over. She said that if it was alright with you, it was alright with her." Valentina smiled smugly.

"Ok… Well, is that all?" Chloe asked nervously, wanting to get out of there before any more bad news came.

Valentina chuckled as Chloe zoomed out of her office before she had finished nodding.

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><p>Alek looked up from his current position, sprawled on the couch. "Everything all right?" Alek smirked at Chloe. She didn't look too happy.<p>

"We're going to a ball this weekend." Chloe said with sarcastic excitement.

Alek drew cocked one eyebrow. "We are?" He saw Valentina follow shortly, "Hey, is this true? I thought you were going out of town this weekend?" Alek asked.

"I am. I'm taking Chloe with me, as well." Valentina responded.

Chloe turned towards Valentina. "They're not coming?" She asked. She wasn't sure how she felt about going to L.A. alone. With Valentina. To meet a bunch of strange Mai. Oh wait, yes she did.

"No. There is no need. I will be there, as well as many other Mai."

Oh god, Chloe was going to have an anxiety attack. She would know no one. And she had to be presented to society. She didn't much like sitting alone in Valentina's office with her for 5 minutes; she didn't know how she was going to handle a 7-hour drive. "Can Jasmine come with at least? That way she can help me get ready, and stuff?" Chloe managed to sputter out amidst her panic attack. As much as she would prefer to spend the time with the British Almost-God, she could use a girl on a trip like this one.

Valentina saw how this was affecting the young Mai. "Sure. Maybe we can actually get some of that shopping done." She winked at Chloe.

"Where am I going?" Jasmine asked, entering the apartment, "And what about shopping?" She grinned.

Chloe sighed. "The Mai want me to have a debutante ball, so your mom, you, and I are all headed down to L.A. on Friday. Yippee." Chloe said reluctantly.

Alek popped up at the word debutante. This wasn't just any ball. Chloe was going to be presented to society! Basically she was going to be put up for sale to all the most eligible Mai bachelors. "Wait," Alek said, "If Chloe's going, I really think she needs multiple people to go with her." Alek pleaded to his Aunt. He needed to get an invite to this ball – Stat!

"Alek, she'll be fine." Valentina said. "I don't want to take away anymore weekends than necessary."

"Well, I am ALL in. It sounds fun." Jasmine stated. She rarely got to do much outside of her Mai duties. They seemed to encompass her life. Her mother had always been so hard on her, but she had liked the push. But she had met Chloe, and realized what life could be like. Chloe was Mai, but she still managed to have fun, and Jasmine was starting to let loose as well, with her help. This would be a great way to do it.

Chloe smiled at Jasmine, happy her quiet friend was starting to get a little bit more recreation in her life. Alek only glared. He would give anything to be in his cousin's place. "I don't mind. I hadn't planned on anything anyway. Plus, L.A. is a large place. Chloe needs more protection there." Alek tried to convince Valentina.

"With the amount of Mai attending this thing, she'll be in good hands, Alek. Plus, I know now that you're protecting Chloe, you don't get to spend as much time with your friends. I figured you could use a weekend off. Call them, watch a game or something." Valentina smiled, ignorantly.

Jasmine knew plenty about his little crush on Chloe. It was plain as the nose on his face. She knew Amy knew. She figured everyone had to see it, except maybe Chloe. She saw Alek's desperate pleas, and took Chloe in to her room.

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><p>Alek and Valentina were alone.<p>

"Well who's going to represent the San Francisco Mai?" Alek tried.

"Jasmine and I will, of course." Valentina furrowed her brow in confusion.

"But of the bachelor's who will?" Alek was on his last excuse.

"Oh, Tyler and his family will be there." Valentina smiled.

Alek was silent. He had nothing else he could think of. But he couldn't let Chloe go if he wasn't. If she went, she could very easily fall for one of the guys there, and then he wouldn't even have a chance. Not that he really had one now, but with Brian out of the picture, he at least had hope.

"Can't you at least allow me a chance?" He asked quietly.

"A chance at what?" Valentina asked. She was so uninformed.

Alek didn't realize his aunt was as dense as Paul. "A chance at Chloe. You know they're all going to be vying for her. I want a chance too." Alek spilled, unable to make eye contact. He was expecting to be reprimanded. After all a protector falling for his guard was probably strictly against all Mai protocol.

Valentina was taken aback. The Uniter and her nephew? She hadn't really considered it until then. As she thought about it more, it sunk in. The way Alek always took more shifts than Jasmine, and the way he looked at her. Of course! He was in love with her. She chastised herself for missing such obvious clues. "You may go, although I don't think it's all that fair." She smirked at him, although it was missed, as Alek was too afraid to look anywhere except his shoes.

Alek's head shot up. "How is it not fair?" He asked, glaring. How was he not just as good as all the other Mai that would be there?

"Because," Valentina explained, "You not only already know her, you view her as more than the Uniter. You view her as Chloe, and from the short amount of time I have spent with her, I know that is one of the most important things to her." She smiled at her surrogate son. "You also love her. If she's smart she'll see what's in front of her."

Alek couldn't help but grin. Valentina was a hardass, no doubt, but she could be very motherly sometimes. She truly cared for her daughter and nephew. "Thanks," Alek pecked his aunt on the cheek and went to his room to start packing.

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><p><strong>So PLEASE review. It means a seriously large amount to me. A review can make me go from :( to :). No joke, they have turned bad days to good. Plus when I get rave reviews I tend to be encouraged to write. Suggestionscriticism ALWAYS welcome and appreciated.**

**Also thought I'd mention, I've decided to name these chapters. I'm pretty proud of the one I came up with for Ch 1. Especially the way I spelled Clothes. It was originally a misspelling as I am so used to typing Chloe, but when I thought of the innuendo, I loved it.  
><strong>


	3. Ode to PaulAlek Paulek!

**Alright! Guys here's a chapter! It's decently long, but I must admit I cheated a bit. Part of the reason it's so long is there's dialog in there from yesterday's episode. So don't read if you don't want spoilers. Although if you do read, lemme know if you could even tell the difference between my writing and abcfamily's. It would be so cool if you couldn't!**

**Speaking of last night's ep. How awesome was that? Best episode yet? I think so! Paul/Alek for the win. haha. If you've read my other story Sacrifice (If you haven't go read it. It's my baby) you know how much I love Paul's sidekick awesomeness.**

**R&R**

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><p>"Hello?"<p>

"Jasmine,' Chloe let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding when Jasmine picked up, "What the heck I'm supposed to bring to this?" Chloe was packing for the trip, but she had no idea what she was supposed to bring. She was currently rooting through her closet with Jasmine on speakerphone.

Jasmine chuckled over the phone. "A range of clothes. Probably an evening dress, maybe something suitable for business, I don't know. Don't worry too much. We're getting your dress for the ball in L.A. and we can pick up whatever you need when we're there." Jasmine explained, but her head seemed to be somewhere else.

Chloe sighed. "Can you just come over and help me pack? Please?" Chloe pleaded.

"As much as I wish I could, I am currently stuck in a meeting with my mother. Plans have to be made. Alek's watching you right now. He's been to this kind of stuff, ask him."

"Alek? I'm supposed to ask Alek? For fashion advice? You do realize all he ever wears are v-necks and Henleys?" She rolled her eyes, remembering that yesterday he had worn a sleek button down, which of course she noticed.

"You'd be surprised if you saw his closet, Chloe. He owns far more than just Henleys." Jasmine responded and hung up.

"Ugh!" Chloe cried, looking in her closet for things to bring. "Stupid boy in his stupid, tight v-necks." She muttered turning and running into v-neck-clad chest. "Oof!"

Alek smirked. "Need help?"

Chloe admired him. She loved his tight Henleys and v-necks. They did so much for his muscles. She noticed he had a brown cardigan pulled over a grey v-neck today. She had to admit, he actually looked stylish and hot today. Rarely could guys pull of style without looking gay, but Alek managed to. "No thanks. Don't act like you weren't listening. I happen to only own one v-neck shirt." Chloe sassed.

"Oh please. You love it." He smirked, raising his eyebrow, sexily.

She blushed. She hated how easily he could get under her skin. "You look like you're going to suffocate. Maybe you should buy your shirts a size larger. Try something of mine on, it might fit you better." She shot back.

"I happen to know that it is much loved by the girls at school. Even a certain best friend of yours, but if you think it's too tight maybe I should just toss all of them out." He said, literally ripping off his shirt and tossing it backwards over his head into her trash bin. "He shoots, he scores," He smirked at her. He was now left in only his brown cardigan.

Chloe could only stare. She planted her feet firmly on the floor, afraid she was going to leap onto him in a lust filled haze. Her eyes traveled up his body. Her eyes went from the V of his hips and lingered along the light dusting of hair near his navel before moving to his well-defined 6-pack and up to the contours of his chest. Finally her eyes wandered up to his beautiful face and into his the pools of brown liquid he called eyes. He was smirking at her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

He heard he heartbeat speed up. He even thought he saw her eyes flash green slits. He liked that even if there was nothing between them, he could still get to her with his looks. He knew his ego was oversized, but could you blame him? Since he turned Mai, he was able to not only notice the looks, but here what people said about him too. Anyone who heard they were a sex-god all day would become cocky too.

She turned back towards the closet, successfully breaking the trance. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Oh, who was she kidding, she had managed to memorize every curve and outline of his body. She smiled to herself, imagining the dreams she would have that night. She sighed. More like fantasies. He had every human girl as well as every Mai girl in love with him. He was more likely to come out of this ball with a few girls than she was to come out with guys. Oh god, the amount of guys that would be there! And not just any guys- these boys-_men_ were going to expect the great and gallant Uniter. When they found out it was only her, she was going to disappoint them all.

Alek heard her heartbeat calm down, only to speed up shortly. But this time, it wasn't the sound of reacting to an attractive, shirtless teen. No, this time Chloe was genuinely freaking out. He moved closer to her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "My taste can't be that bad," he had actually been hurt by her original words. He tried to dress well – for her. "I'll help you find something to wear." She looked up at him, with a smile.

"For the record, I don't think you dress that bad. The shirt you wore yesterday was nice. And you looked good today. I liked the cardigan." She said softly, recognizing that she might have actually hurt the invincible Alek Petrov.

"You noticed." He said it as a cocky statement, but he was genuinely pleased and surprised. "Most girls like the cardigan." He said, referring to the fact that he was _only_ wearing a cardigan.

"I meant before." Chloe blushed.

He raised an eyebrow, questioningly. They turned to the closet and started rooting through it.

"What about this?" He pulled out a simple black dress. She had worn it to a bat mitzvah in 7th grade. It was now about 10 times too small.

"It's too small," She said, dismissively.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure it's just right." He smirked. She hit him playfully on the arm, and they turned back to the closet to seriously help her pack. 

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><p>Alek walked to the coffee shop next to Varese's. He knew that it was "the gang's" favorite hang out spot. He was hoping to catch one of them. The bell rang on the door as Alek entered. 'Perfect,' Alek smiled to himself. Paul sat alone at the table typing on his laptop.<p>

Alek ordered a coffee, glancing over at Paul every once in awhile. The barista, who was giggling and smiling a little too much at him, handed him his coffee with a napkin. He looked down seeing 10 digits written on the piece of paper-cloth. He smirked, tossing the napkin away as he went to sit down across from Paul.

"Hey," Paul said. He was expecting some sort of news about Chloe. He hoped she wasn't in trouble, but he doubted that, seeing as Alek was calmly sipping his coffee. If Chloe were in danger, no one would be able to stop Alek from going after her, no matter how stupid or pointless his rescue attempt was. Paul had recently noticed how Alek looked at Chloe. It was the same way he looked at Amy. Paul knew for sure he was in love with the over-dramatic girl, and he was pretty sure Alek loved Chloe just the same. His conjecture was confirmed when he told Amy, and Amy had laughed at him saying she had known for a couple of weeks. When Alek didn't respond, Paul continued, "Did you…want something?" He asked.

"Can't I just sit and have a coffee?" Alek responded.

Paul looked down at his computer, confused. "You know it's Saturday. Chloe's not working."

Wow, he could be dense. Alek was going to have to spell this out for him, wasn't he, "I do other things besides follow Chloe around." Actually, that was a bit of a stretch. He did, but lately she was taking up most of his time. If he wasn't following her, he was thinking about her. It never ended. The only reason he was there was because Chloe had gone to see Brian. He 'apparently' had called her last night and said he needed to see her. She had gone, against his pleas that she wouldn't. He couldn't stand to watch her if they got back together. He didn't think he could handle it.

Paul looked back at his computer, guessing that it must be true. He was the most popular guy in school. He had to be social to get to that position. It just seemed like he was always either with her, or on the roofs watching her – At least, that's what Chloe said he did. He had never actually seen him on the roof.

"You've known her a long time, haven't you?" He said, not quite a question, not quite a statement.

"Almost my whole life." He said naturally, still staring at the screen. Alek wished he could say that on reflex. He actually wished he were in Paul's position. That thought scared Alek. He was king of High School, yet here he was, wishing he were a comic-geek at the bottom of the pyramid, all for some girl. But she wasn't just any girl. No, she was Chloe King.

"Has she always been…" He searched for the word. No words could quite describe her, but he settled on, "Difficult?"

Paul looked up, Alek having finally caught his attention. "Chloe?"

'No, not Chloe,' Alek thought, 'hadn't he been paying attention?'

"Naw, She's…" Paul trailed off, a smile forming on his face. Finally, he understood what Alek wanted. He closed his laptop, facing Alek fully.

'Shit,' Alek thought. He knew that look. It was _his _look. It screamed 'I have something up my sleeve.' "What?" he asked.

Paul leaned back in his chair, giving his best impression of the Godfather. "You're here to ask me for advice. You want me to give you advice on how to get Chloe to like you."

"No." He said a bit too quickly, "I don't. And she likes me just fine." Alek said, _his_ look of mischief on his face. Where it belonged.

Paul smirked. "I do not believe you."

Alek was losing patience with this kid. How dare he mock him. Chloe _DID _like him just fine. Sort of. As friends. He sighed internally. "I don't really care what you think." He snapped. "And I certainly don't need you to tell me what her favorite color is and all that rubbish." He had gotten that information from her diary already.

"Blue." Paul said smugly.

"Ok, seriously. You have to stop smiling." It was starting to creep him out. This guy was too proud that he knew Chloe's favorite color. It was really getting on his nerves that he knew more about her than he did.

"Ok, here's how it's gonna work." Paul leaned in. "I ask a question, then you ask one. Someone doesn't answer, Game Over."

"I'm not here to play games." The idea of Chloe being a game pissed him off.

"Too bad, because I know _a lot about Chloe_." Paul said rubbing it in.

Alek thought it over. As annoyed at Paul as he was, he wanted- no _needed_ - to know about her. "Okay, fine. But I go first." That way I can get at least one question in before I rip his throat out, Alek thought.

"Why does she insist on doing stupid, risky things with no backup whatsoever." Alek understood that she cared, but seriously a phone call would be nice. He worried about her.

"The worst thing you can say to Chloe is, 'You can't.' She's 꽤 완고한." At Alek's confused look, Paul translated. "Headstrong."

"How do I fix that?"

"Nope. A Mai question. How many different races are there? Y'know, Mai, Jackals…" Paul's face lit up.

"Every ancient God had human offspring." Alek answered. That wasn't so bad. He was expecting a question more like 'do you like catnip?' "Study your mythology."

"You can't fix Chloe because she's not broken." With an attitude like that, he was never going to win Chloe's heart. "All she really wants to do is help people." Paul's face lit up, signaling another Mai question. "Toilet? Or Litterbox?"

Yep. There was the type of question he was expecting. Except worse. I mean really? Obviously the answer is litterbox. He thought about giving that sarcastic answer, but decided Paul might actually believe him. "What are you, 12?" His face turned serious, as he asked the question he was most dying to know the answer too. Except he was a bit afraid of the answer. "Why does she keep seeing Brian, even though she knows it can never work?"

"They're friends. There's nothing more important to Chloe than friends." Paul said. Chloe had said they were over for good, but he wasn't sure. After all, she was currently meeting with him – at least that's what Amy had told him. He never got the answer straight from the source. But he was pretty sure she had moved on to another guy. He wasn't completely oblivious. He was pretty sure she kept seeing Brian because he was one person that had no idea about Chloe's race, and that made her feel normal. But he couldn't tell Alek that. He was pretty sure the idea that Chloe wasn't happy being Mai would upset Alek, and he wasn't sure how he would handle that anger. He was pretty attached to his throat. "Look, You obviously really like Chloe. You just have to be…less Mai protector and more… regular guy."

"It's my job to protect her." Alek replied. Not only was it his job, he felt he needed to. He wanted to.

"But you should do it because you want to." Paul explained. Alek thought it was obvious he did, but maybe it wasn't. "Not because you have to."

The talk was helpful. Not to mention, Paul was actually a pretty decent guy. The talk eventually strayed away from Mai talk completely. Paul was pretty cool. They bonded over a mutual love of comics. Paul vowed not to breathe a word about Alek's secret love of comic books. He was just happy a bromance was brewing between the two. 

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><p><strong>I asked KiHong what he said in the ep. He told me he basically said 'quite stubborn' in Korean. I'm pretty sure that's not the direct translation, but it's as close as I could without knowing how the heck to speak Korean. Let me know if you know what he said, and I'll change it.<br>**

**Okay so whaddya think? Tell me by clicking that button down there that says 'Review' Seriously they make my day.**

**So the next chapter is going to be the car ride to L.A. There will be plenty of Chloe/Alek banter, but I need help writing it. Sound off any ideas or cutesy banter in a review or PM. Please. The sooner I can figure out how to write it, the sooner you get to read it!**

**Also for fans of my story, Sacrifice, I apologize I haven't gotten a chapter out in awhile. I've been trying to figure out exactly how to write it. I sat down to write one today, but instead this came out.**

**Much Love to all my reviewers. I love you all!**


	4. French Fries and McFlurries

**Ok. You're gonna love me. This chapter is super long and super cute banter filled! It's because you guys are so great and write such great reviews!**

**Also thanks to _theyre after my lucky charms_. You gave me some great questions to have Chloe and Alek ask. If you guys haven't read her fic, Coke and Chocolate, you totally should! It's super cute and filled with some seriously amazing witty banter! Here's the link - .net/s/7171455/1/Coke_and_Chocolate**

**Also, I should specify: Even though I included a part from the new episode in last chapter, I am not following the plot. This fic assumes Chloe and Alek never kissed, and Chloe has no idea how Alek feels.**

**I was gonna say something else but I forgot. Oh well. I remembered this though, I am going to try and write atleast part of a new chapter for Sacrifice as soon as I post this. Thanks for bearing with me.**

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><p>"Alright, so I figured we would take two cars." Valentina explained. "There's no way I'm going to be able to cram three teenagers and their luggage into the MDX" She chuckled pointing to her red Acura.<p>

"I can ride with you, Mom." Jasmine said, jumping on the opportunity. "Chloe and Alek can take his car."

"Alright, sounds good. So it's settled." Valentina said. She turned to Alek, "Don't go too fast. I don't need any trouble this weekend." Alek just smirked. "You know where you're going?"

"Yes, _mom_," he said mocking her motherly attention. Valentina just smiled at him.

"Alright, well our stuff is already in the car, so pack up and then hit the road, okay?" Valentina said, climbing into the driver's seat. "I'm sure you guys'll catch up." She said winking at her surrogate son.

"Haha." Alek said sarcastically. "We'll see you tonight."

Jasmine moved to get into the passenger seat, brushing past her cousin on the way, "You owe me." She whispered in his ear. He just rolled his eyes in response.

The engine roared to life, and they watched them go off down the street.

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><p>"Alright," Chloe said, "So we're taking your car?" she asked, nervously. She wasn't stupid. She had noticed Valentina's hints at Alek's speed. She could deal with a speed demon. I mean she rode with Amy half the time. But Alek was…Alek, who knew how fast he went.<p>

"Yeah. Follow me," He led her into the garage underneath the apartment. He was dragging both his and her suitcases.

"Wow!" Chloe remarked, "Someone in your apartment building has some serious dough." Chloe said pointing out a deep blue Aston Martin.

Alek chuckled as he led her to his car. She realized she had never seen him drive. He always preferred to get places by foot. Perk of being a Mai.

Alek stopped in front of the Aston Martin. Chloe wasn't really into cars, but she knew a nice car when she saw one. Chloe assumed he wanted to get a better look at it until he pulled out a key fob and pressed a button to pop the trunk.

Chloe stood with her mouth agape. Alek chuckled. "What can I say, we like our cookies." Alek said.

"Huh?" Chloe said, too shocked to understand Alek's pun.

"Dough…cookies…yeah?" He asked connecting the dots for her.

Chloe let out a small chortle, and stepped into the passenger seat. Alek placed the luggage in the trunk and joined her up front.

"How fast does this puppy go?" Chloe asked nervously, as Alek started the engine.

"I've gotten her up past 200," Alek smiled, petting the dashboard.

Chloe's eyes went wide. Alek only chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll keep her under 100."

"I'd appreciate it," Chloe said.

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><p>As they sped off onto Market Street, Chloe started to relax into the plush, leather seats.<p>

"Soooo." Chloe said breaking the silence. It was oddly quiet in the car. The engine barely purred. "How long does it take to get there?"

"About 7 hours. 6 if you let me go above 100." Alek smiled.

"Nah, 7 hours is just fine." Chloe said.

"You're right. I'd want to spend more time with me too if I were you." Alek smirked at Chloe.

Chloe punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey! No hitting the driver." Alek rubbed the spot on his arm, feigning injury.

"No fair," Chloe grumbled.

"Hey, do _you _wanna drive?" Alek threw back at her.

Chloe's eyes lit up, "Can I?"

"Sure, didn't realize you were much of a car girl." Alek cocked his eyebrow.

"I'm not. But you do realize you own an Aston freaking Martin."

"Oh!" He said, looking down at the steering wheel, "When did that get here! Is that what this symbol meant?" He asked, feigning shock, as he gestured at the pair of wings that made up the Aston Martin's insignia.

She stuck out her tongue at him. "Just pull over soon so we can switch."

Alek pulled over sharply. "Soon enough for you?" He laughed at her face. "Just don't throw up in the car." He smirked. She shot back a funny face.

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><p>Chloe was now sitting in the driver's seat. They had just entered the highway, and Chloe was quickly making her way over to the carpool lane. He noticed how her speed was hiking.<p>

"Hey!" He said, after 30 minutes, "You can go over 100, but I can't?" He asked, noticing her speedometer had surpassed 100 MPH.

"I trust myself more." She stuck her tongue out at him. He only smiled. He felt tempted to grab that tongue with his mouth, but he stopped himself. She _was_ driving, after all. He loved watching her in his car. She looked so sleek in his Martin. The way she gripped to wheel was just so sexy to him. Only a guy would ever think a girl looked sexy driving.

"Why are you staring at me?" Chloe asked, bringing Alek out of his trance.

"I'm hungry let's stop for food." Alek said, avoiding Chloe's question. There was just not a good response to that question.

'Boys,' Chloe thought, 'always thinking about food.'

"There's a McDonald's in 10 miles. Work for you?" Chloe asked, starting to change lanes.

"Yeah. I'll call Jasmine now. We should probably check in." Alek said.

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><p>Jasmine's phone rang, signaling Alek was calling.<p>

"Is that Alek and Chloe?" Valentina asked. "It's about time they called."

"Hello?" Jasmine answered.

"Hey. We're just calling to check in." Alek responded.

"Is that Alek? Tell him to make Chloe call next time. He shouldn't be on the phone while driving." Valentina scolded.

"Alek, Valentina says you shouldn't be on the phone while driving," Jasmine relayed.

"I'm not," he responded, "Chloe's driving." He said matter-of-factly.

"The _Aston Martin?_" Jasmine screeched, "You're letting her drive your _Aston freaking Martin?_" He didn't even let Valentina drive it.

"Yeah…" He responded, "Anyway, we're stopping off at McDonald's; We'll call you late, K, bye." Alek said, trying to change the subject and hang up.

"Alek." Jasmine said, firmly.

"What?" Alek sighed, realizing his cousin was going to give him some speech.

"You really like her don't you?" Jasmine smiled to herself.

Alek sighed, "More." He said somberly.

"What?" Jasmine breathed. Her cousin was in _love_ with Chloe King. "You're screwed." She said knowingly.

"I know." He sighed and hung up.

* * *

><p>"What was that about?" Chloe asked, referring to the phone call.<p>

"Nothing," Alek replied, "Just Jasmine being Jasmine."

"Okay…" Chloe responded, pulling into the McDonald's parking lot. "Drive through or sit down?" She asked.

"We can use a break. Let's sit down." He responded.

* * *

><p>Chloe stared at Alek as he sat down with their tray. He had ordered a double quarter pounder with cheese and 2 large French fries. It made her quarter pounder and medium fries look measly.<p>

"Mmmm!" Alek exclaimed, taking a fistful of fries and shoving them in his mouth. "I love French fries!" He declared, his mouth full.

"Eww. Gross! Alek close your mouth." Chloe giggled, putting her hand over his mouth.

"What?" He asked, feigning innocence, "You don't like fries?" He shoved a fistful in her own mouth when she opened it to respond.

She laughed, and they both chewed, a glint in their eyes. They both loved these moments. It was times like those, where they could imagine themselves with the other.

They finished up their food, but Chloe was debating whether or not to get something else. She had forfeited the rest of her fries to Alek, who she now had dubbed the French Fry King.

Alek excused himself, while she contemplated what to order. She assumed he had gone to the bathroom or something. She was a little to focused on deciding whether or not to order.

Alek returned shortly with a large McFlurry. "You're still hungry?" She asked, astonished.

"A little. But I can't finish this whole thing." He smiled at her, "I figured we could share?" He said, the last sentence sounding more like a question. He pulled out two straws.

Chloe picked one up, and shoved it in the drink. "You better hurry up, if you want any." Chloe joked. Alek laughed, and followed suit.

They were nose to nose, finishing the large shake quickly. Chloe was focused on the shake, her eyes down, but Alek could only watch her, wanting to kiss her.

Chloe looked up, the drink finished. She met Alek's eyes. She had wanted so badly to look at him the entire time she was drinking, but she had focused on the shake, afraid of what she might do if she was that close to him. He didn't realize the affect he had on her. Moving in closer, she realized she was about to kiss him. She pulled back quickly, chastising herself for the mistake she almost made. He was the high school jock. She was the loner outcast. She was meant to fall for him, but he wasn't meant to fall for her. "We should get going," She said, staring down, feeling a blush growing.

"Yeah, sure." He too, could feel his cheeks burning. He was too stupid to think a girl like Chloe would want Alek. He had almost kissed her. She had, thankfully, pulled away, saving him from embarrassment.

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><p>They walked back to the car in silence. Alek took the driver's seat, Chloe the passenger's.<p>

As they got back on the highway, Chloe kept looking at Alek. Finally he couldn't take her glances, "You have a question; just ask." He told her. He watched her blush in recognition.

"Before you changed, and you had every girl all over you, how come you didn't take advantage of that?" Chloe asked.

He looked at her. He couldn't very well tell her it was because they weren't what he wanted. He had always wanted Chloe. There was something about her. He was pretty sure it was the same reason she was chosen as Uniter. She was perfect. He decided half-truths would be the best option. "I'm not a man-whore," he smirked at her. "Mai are programmed to fall in love with one person. We mate for life. They weren't what I wanted. Besides, I knew it wouldn't last long anyway. I changed shortly after I started my freshman year. Then when my parents kicked me out, well that sucked. They just weren't on my mind." He answered.

Chloe nodded, learning more about Alek than she would have preferred. She wished he would have given some cocky answer. It would have made her feel better. His answer only made her fall even deeper for him.

"My turn for a question." Alek said. He was going to use this time to his advantage.

"Is that how this is going to work?" Chloe asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yes." He answered, "You told me you hadn't spoken to Brian for a month. How come you decided to see him yesterday?" Alek braced himself for an answer he was sure he wouldn't like.

"He called me. He wanted to meet for coffee. I couldn't say no. Turns out he just wanted to apologize to me." Chloe braced herself. She decided to tell Alek something she had kept from him; "The last time I spoke to him, after the gala, he said he loved me. I told him I didn't feel the same way, and so I kind of ran off, and hadn't spoken to him until yesterday." Chloe watched as Alek visibly tensed. She continued, "He wanted to apologize for not respecting my feelings, and to ask if we could just be friends." Chloe heard a low growl come from Alek's throat. She decided he deserved to know the rest, "I told him I wasn't sure how that was going to work. After all, I told him we could only be friends, and he tried to kiss me. But he explained that shortly after the gala he had decided to enroll at SFU, and he met a girl there. He explained that while he thought he had loved me, he realized he only wanted something he couldn't have. Growing up rich and all." She watched Alek relax, his white knuckles slowly turning a normal color. "I think we might stay friends. We'll see." She had liked the way it had ended. Brian had even suggested that she bring Alek along for a double date. She hadn't realized until then that he had noticed she liked Alek.

"My turn." Chloe said excitedly, liking this game. Alek laughed. "How does the whole Mai in love thing work?" Chloe blushed, hoping it wasn't obvious why she wanted to know.

"Why? Because of Brian?" Alek asked bitterly. Just because Brian was no longer in love with Chloe, didn't mean she didn't still love him.

"No. I like someone else." Chloe said quietly.

"Another human?" Alek asked, an edge to his voice.

"No, he's Mai." Chloe blushed. She was dropping hints. Part of her wanted him to know. She needed to know if she had even a spark of chance.

"You know Mai guys?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. All he could think was that he'd personally rip out anyone's tongue if it ever stuck itself down Chloe's throat.

"A couple." Chloe said. That was true. She knew Alek, and another guy who she had met when Scarface was after her. He was about 40, but Alek didn't need to know that.

Alek nodded curtly. "A Mai's love is forever. You fall in love. You don't fall out. When a couple is pretty certain of their love, they are marked on the right side of the neck on the back. Using the claws, they place their hand on their lover's shoulder near the neck, and dig their four fingers into the skin. It changes the scent to let others know they're taken. It's also leaves a visible scar mark, except it doesn't turn pink like scars; it turns dark like a tattoo." Alek took a deep breath, trying hard not to imagine doing it to Chloe, "If the relationship progresses and the Mai decides he or she wants to be with the other forever – current life and afterlife, they digs their claws into the left shoulder, leaving 4 more claw marks, changing the scent completely. It's much like a marriage ceremony, except it's private and way more intimate." He finished, realizing how much he wanted Chloe's back to bear his 8 marks.

Chloe took it all in. She too, couldn't help but imagine sinking her own claws into his shoulders. She had to physically force her claws to stay retracted. "Why the back of the neck?"

He smiled, "The scruff of the neck is a rather sensual place for cats. They often nip at each other there in affection," He raised his eyebrows in suggestion.

"Oh." Chloe said, understanding the meaning.

"My turn!" Alek's eyes lit up. "Who's this Mai guy?"

Chloe frowned. "Nope. Not answering. Too personal." She blushed.

"Fine. Game over then." He frowned, wanting desperately to know whom she liked.

"One more question?" She pleaded.

He couldn't ignore those puppy dog eyes. "Fine." He sighed.

"What's it like living in a house with two women that can take you on in an  
>instant? Doesn't it shatter your manliness at least a little bit?" She laughed. Alek couldn't help but smile, as he pushed her lightly.<p>

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><p><strong>Soooo. Tell me how awesome I am in a review! Haha just kidding. No but seriously. I would REALLY appreciate a review. Please tell me what you honestly think of it. If you think it was OOC or just not as good as others please let me know. I cherish my reviews, but it's a little nicer to read something other than update soon please!<strong>

**Longest chapter yet! Over 3,000 words! And a shout out to InferiMaster who reminded me how much Alyec loves french fries. My Alek does too!  
><strong>

**Reviews motivate me. They're like crack for obsessed fans.**

**Also if there's anything you'd like to see, I'll try to incorporate it in there. Although sometimes I already have something up my sleeve. Like I just got a cute review with a good idea for sacrifice, but I had already figured out how to do that part. And in my opinion my idea gets them about 10x more cute points. :P**

**Review. Please. I thank you.**


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